Apparatus for rectifying traveling strips



April 3o, 1940. s. COHN Em. 2.198.656

APPARATUS FOR RECTIFYING TAVELING STRIPS Filed Feb. 16, 1938 2 Shets-Sheei 1 nung ATTORNEY April so,- 1940. s. @HN TAL f 2,198,656

' APPARATUS FOR RECTIFYING TRAVELING STRIPS Filed Feb. 16, 1938 2 Sheetsv-Sh'eet 2 .il T a i ,27 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 30, 1940 .UNITI-:D STAT-Es 4.lirralta'rns ron RECTIFYING Tas-vamo s'ralrs Samuel Cohn, New York,` and Jules G. Walter, Ridgewood, N. Y., assignors to Samcoe Holding Corporation, New York New York N. Y.`, a corporation of Application February 416, 1938, Serial No. 190,830

13 Claims.

V The present application is a continuation in part of our application Serial No. 691,522, filed September 29, 1933, and also it is a continuation inv part of our co-pendlng application Serial No.

, 5 108,313,'f1d October 30, 1936.

' O ur present invention relates to an apparatus for rectifying a traveling strip, the purpose of which is to maintaina traveling strip of material, suchas fabric, in a given path, and to restore the fabric to that path if it develops a lead v to one side or the-other of the intended line of travel. The invention is useful in various types of machines, vsuch as in the drying apparatus shown in the parent applications, wherea strip y offabric is guided in a straight or tortuous path over a series oi rollers. It is a well known fact that-where a strip of material is traveling over rollers, no matter how perfect the rollers may be made, or how perfect the fabric may be constructed, there is a tendency for the fabric. to l shift sidewisefrom its intended path, andwhere the strip of material is in the nature of a fabric` it cannot be maintained in astraight path by simply having side guides.

Where the traveling strip consists of knitted fabric it is diilicult to maintain the strip in a definite and predetermined path ofv travel because of the elastic quality or characteristic of the fabric, and while different kinds of materials may be handled with the present device, it is an important feature of the invention that it is capable of handling strips of knitted fabric, and especially knitted, tubular fabric. The present device is very inexpensive to manufacture so that 3,', a number of rectifiers may be placed adjacent a number of fabric propelling rollersto guide and rectify the fabric adjacent eachsuch roller.

The rectifier itself requires .no outside driving force but is controlled and actuated by the strip 40 of fabric itself in such manner that whenever the fabric develops a tendency to lead to either side of the intended or predetermined course the rectier acts to produceV a counterlead in the fabric sufficient to restore it to the intended path, as soon as the tendency to lead off` from this path develops, and by a gentle action which' will .not produce wrinkles inthe fabric nor place the fabric under undue strain or tension. On the contrary, the present device 'not onlyv acts to rec'- `tiiy the strip of fabric, but to smooth out or remove any wrinkles which may exist in thev fabric as it approaches the rectifier. g

We have shown the invention in diderent forms, in one of which the rollers withwhich the strip of "fabric nasa rolling engagement extend straight line. In other words, when the present at substantially right angles to the path of travel of the fabric, whereas in another form of the invention the rollers are composed of sections which lic at angles or in convergent relation to eachother andin this form of the invention we have shown the roller sections of each pair mounted on shafts which are bent or formed in convergent shape so that theroller sections have a. fixed angle in relation to each other.

Another object of the invention is to pivot the roller supporting means of the rectifier in an eccentric relation so that a slight deflection of the fabric from `its intended course will cause the rectifier to act quickly to produce the counterlead necessary to restore the fabric to the in-j tended course. Preferably, the rectifier hasat` least three rollers with which the fabric engages in order to produce a slight tautness in the fabric while it is passing the rectifier, in order `to g make the action of the rectifier very sensitive. Where knitted fabric is being propelled through a machine, it is desirable that the fabric be maintained ina very loose condition and the present device is effective ,even under these conditions.

The present device is very sensitive, so that it produces a counterlead promptly, but nevertheless the rectifier itself does not have excessive movement because of its sensitive action. 1n other words, with the present invention it is possible-to prevent the rectifier from having an action which, for lack of a better term We call hunting, or back and forth movement, carrying the fabric with it, or a movement in excess of that necessary to maintain the fabric in a device moves to produce a counterlead in the fabric it-will not have a tendency to go beyond the point where the fabric is brought back to normal position, and thus produce in itself an unde'- sirable counterlead on the opposite side of the 40 'normal position or line of movement. Whereas in prior -art devices the rectifiers have` acted through the tension existing in the layer of fab-4 ric as a whole, the present device may function through a light tension of the fabric created within the limits of the rectifier' itself and with- -out any relation to any tension or lack of ten- `sion which may exist in a layer of fabric beyond therectiiier itself.

Another object of the invention is to provide a 50 rectifier which may oscillate on an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the fabric with the hold it centralized, and this tendency is'especialticali plane. This not only increases the sensitiveness ofthe device but it also prevents the rectier from producing a local distortional' stress upon the fabric which is important where the fabric is of knitted construction. This particular feature is not shown in the parent applications but is new to the present case.

Other features and advantages will be set fortnin the following detailed description of our invention.

In the drawings forming part of this' application:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a rectifier embodying our invention in the form in which the fabric engaging rollers are at right angles to the path of travel of the fabric,

Figure 2 is a similar view of a modified form in which two ofz the fabric engaging rollers are composed of convergent sections,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, but showing a further modification,

Figure 4 is a plan view of a rectifier embodying our invention, in which all of the fabric engaging rollers are composed of convergent sections,

Figure 5 is a detailed elevation with partsbroken away and showing the construction of one ofthe fabricI engaging rollers shown in Figure 4',

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a broken perspective view of the rectifier and showing its relation to the fabri propelling rollers,

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 4,

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 4,

Figure 10 is a plan view of a portion of a rectifier which is adapted to have pivotal movement on a plurality of axes, and

Figure 11 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the une n n of Figure 1o.A

The rectifying devices are preferably placed at advantageous points in the travel of the fabric, preferably engaging the fabric in advance ofleach propelling roller I. We will rst describe the form of our invention shown in Figure 1.

The strip of material 2 being driven by and running over the roller I and other similar rollers`y has a tendency to run off to one side or the' other unless there is something to guide it and ber there is placed the driving roller I. The cross piece 3 is preferably adjacent the propelling roller I and at its middle point it supports an arm 5 which -extends forwardly of the propelling roller. At theA end of this arm there is a pivot bolt 6 which forms a pivotal support for an oscillating frame 1 which is adapted to oscillatein a horizontal plane and to a limited extent around the bolt 6; and in order to Vallow this frame to move with the least resistance we prefer to provide ball g ered with rubber, velvet or similar material, and

the pintles of these rollers are all journaled in brackets I3 at opposite ends; which brackets are mounted upon the swinging frame member l. 'I'he rollers are shown as being parallel to each other and so positioned that the fabric travels under one of these'rollers over the middle one;

and thence under the end one as it approaches the propelling roller I. frame 'I lies in a position Aso that the several rollers I 0, II, I2 are at right angles to the intended path of travel of the fabric and in subsequent description we will set forth the operation of the device. l

In the construction shown in Figure 2 the arrangement is modified and in this construction the roller I4 which is nearer the propelling roller I is shown as a straight roller whereas the two rollers in front of it are convergent; that is to say, these rollers are composed of sections which converge in relation to each other. Each of these rollers consists of a section I5 on the left side of the frame 1 and a section I6 on the right side of the frame. The two sections of each roller are shown on an angular shaft I1 which is secured at its .ends to the brackets I8 which are mounted on the oscillating frame 1. The sections of the rollers are shown as composed of thin, cylindrical rollers I9 having plugs 20 disposed inside the tubular member and adjacent the opposite ends thereof; and these plugs have their bearings on the shafts I1. The sleeves 2l serve as spacers to maintain the roller sections in proper position on the shaft.

'Ihe cylinders I9 are preferably covered with a fabric 22 whichA may be velvet, rubber or plush, in order to have sunicient traction for the fabric to revolve the several rollers which are in fact idlers. Preferably one of the roller sections, for instance, the section I6 on the right of Figure 5, has a. plug 23 in the end of the cylinder I9 which plug projects beyond the end of the cylinder and into the open end of the cylinder of the companion roller section. This plug is shaped as shown at 24 to provide a member for the traveling fabric to rest against and to prevent the fabric frompiling up against the edge of either roller Normally, the swinging section when it shifts from side to side of the central line. 'I'he straight roller I4 may precede the convergent rollers as shown in Fig. 3.

Preferably, the two convergent roller sections of each roller are constructed alike so that the above description applies to each of them. Of course it will be understood that two rollers may be used or more than three rollers, in the rectifier, but we have found that three rollers in each rectifier will perform all of the functions desired. y

We have shown extensions or ears 25 on the frame 'I with rods 26 connected thereto and extending downwardly between adjacent roller sectionsto prevent either edge of the traveling fabric from becoming entangled with the ends of the rectifier rollers.

In' the construction shown in Figure 4 all three rcuers 21, 2s, 29 cn the rectifier are constructed of convergent sections corresponding With the rollers I5, I6 in Figure 2 and the sections of all of these rollers are disposed parallel to each- Operation The strip of fabric just before it approaches one of the propelling rollers I passes l,under the first roller of the rectifier, inthe form shown in Figure 1, the first roller I5, I6 of the form shown in Figure 2, or the first roller 29 Aof the form shown in Figure 4. The fabric then passes partly over the second roller, then partly around the third roller of the rectifier, from which it passes directly onto the propelling roller I. The traction of the fabric on the several rollers of the rectifying device causes the latter rollers to 'revolve as they are in the nature of idlers. Where the rollers are shown in Figures 2 and 4 they will, beL

cause of their formation in convergent sections,

cause any creases or wrinkles in the fabric to be worked off from the middle line ofthe fabric in opposite directions to the edges of the fabric, so that when the fabric reaches the propelling rollers I these wrinkles or creases will have been smoothed out and caused to pass off the side edges of the fabric. The bolt E which isfthe pivotal point of the frame 1 is preferably in the median line of the correct path of travel of the fabric,` or in line with the middle of the fabric propelling roller I.

The fabric in fiat form, whether of single thickness or a flattened tube, will travel in a horizontal or substantially horizontal plane, and will reach therectier from some previous roller or guiding means and the several rollers of the rectif-ler will be revolved by the action of the fabric.

Ihe functionof the rectifier is Vto keep the traveling strip of fabric centralized in relation`to the propelling roller I. Ii` while the fabric is traveling through the rectifier it, for any rea- ;on, develops a tendency to lead toward the right as viewed in Figures 1, 2 or 4, the fabric will travel on the rectifier rollers toward the right, and when this takes place there` will be more fabric engaging the rectifier' rollers or roller sections to :he right of the pivotal points 6 and this will :ause the rectifier to turn diagonally toward the eft in these views or to swing anticlockwise and ;hefrectifier will thereupon immediately develop i left lead in the traveling fabric. This left lead vill overcome the previously developed right lead if the fabric, or in other words, the rectifier will inmediately and'automatically equalize the fab- 'ic by leadingit back toward the correct path :f travel.

* When this counterlead develops and 'starts to ring the fabric back to its correctl position, the

lectifier will also move from its original position ack to its central position so that by the time he fabric has been corrected in relation to the ropelling roller I the rectifier' itself will have leen brought back to the neutral cr-straight posiion at right angles to the correct line of travel f the fabric as indicated'in Figures 1, 2 and 4. ."he lateral lead causedj by the rectifier is thereore brought to an end when the fabric has been rought-back to its correct path. The rectifylng `ction is not sudden but it takes place gradually s is' necessary with a wide, soft fabric. If the ivotal `screw 6, is arranged directly over the rame 1 the rectifying action willbe much `slower and more gradual. Whereas if this pivotal point is arranged ahead of the frame 1 as shown in Figures l, 2 and 4, there is a greater swing to the rectifier and therefore the rectifying action is quicker.

If the fabric at the rectifier tends to develop a left lead, the opposite action will take place to that vdescribed above. and the rectifier will provide a right hand counterlead and bring the fabric back to its correct position. 'Ihe rectifier operates on substantially the-full width5 of the fabric ratherv than locally, and instead of creating wrinkles in the strip it irons and smooths them out. 'I'he several rollers of the rectifier may create only a light tension in the fabric where it is passing through the rectifier; in other words only enough tension will be created to cause' the rectifier to operate in the manner described above.

In the forms 'of our invention described above, the rectifier swings on the pivots 6 in a plane which is horizontal or which is parallel tothe plane 'of the fabric. have shown a modified construction wherein the rectifier may oscillate in the same horizontal plane as described above, but which on occasion may also oscillate slightly in a vertical plane. In this construction the oscillating frame corresponds with the oscillating frames 1 and its horizontal rocking motions are limited by the same kind of stop screws 8 as described above. In this form, however, while the oscillating frame is pivoted on the screw 3l to permit it to move in a horizontal plane the same as the oscillating frames described above, it may `also `rock upon the screw in a vertical plane. For this purpose the screw 3I is attached to the bracket 5 correspending with the brackets in the previous description and the upper end of this screw has a nut or head 32 which is disposed in acup or housing 33 formed on the support 5 and the upper end of the housing may be open or covered. Under the head 32 of this screw or bolt there is -arranged a ball bearing 34 which is shown as smaller in diameter than the opening in the'cup 33. This ball bearing device is shown as resting on a washer 35 which may be of soft material,

and the washer itself seats on the .bottom wall 36 of the cup. The bolt` 3| passes through the ball bearing, through the washer35 and also through an enlargedaperture 31 in the bottom wall of the cup and thence through the nut 31a;

thence freely through an aperture 31b in the member 30 and through the nut 31. The nuts 31a and 31c attach the bolt 3| to the member V3l) andthe latter with the bolt may swing on the ball bearing. Preferably, we provide a counter- Weight 38 which is shown as bolted to the oscillating frame 30 and disposed on the opposite side of the pivot bolt 3| so that this counterweight `serves to counterbalance the portion of the rocking frame -which is on the opposite side of the bolt 3l, thereby tending to keep the frame in a horizontal position under normal conditions.

It will be obvious from the above that the rocking frame 30 in this construction can oscillate in a horizontal'plan"around the bolt 3I- so that the rollers of the rectifier will perform the same functions as the rollers in the construction described above. If, however, there is a tendency for the fabric to move out of its true horizontal position, and of course any movement resulting from this tendency.will be slight, then there will be no undesirable drag or distortional action on the fabric because the: frame 30 in addition to its os cillation on a horizontal plane may tilt in a vertical plane. This is permitted because the bolt 3l which supports the rocking frame can tilt to a limited extent within the aperture 31 which is larger than the diameter of the bolt and in this action the bolt will simply rock upon the washer 35 and the ball bearing device 34 may rock with the head 32 of the bolt. We prefer kto use the form of joint shown herein because the mere weight of the oscillating frame will tend to bring it back tothe horizontal position shown in Fig,- ure 11 and yet permit the frame to rock in a vertical plane in the manner just described, to permit the equalizer to adjust its position to accord-with any variation in the plane of the fabric. This accelerates rectification and makes the device more sensitive. This feature of our invention is new to the present case.

Having described our invention, what we claim l. A rectifier for a traveling strip, including a frame having means with which a traveling strip has a tractional engagement, a support for said frame, a pivot pin for connecting said frame with said support adjacent the median line of travel of the strip, said pin adapted to permit said frame to oscillate in a plane parallel with the path of the strip, said pin being mounted to rock on said support to permit said frame to oscillate in a plane vertical to the plane of the strip, said rectier being adapted to produce a counter lead in the strip of fabric when swung on its pivot for the purpose of rectifying the travel of said strip.

2. In a machine for propelling a fabric strip, a horizontal propeller roll for' propelling the strip and a rectifier through which saidstrip is drawn horizontally, said rectifier comprising a plurality of successive rollers separated enough to prevent pinching of the strip between them and so maintaining free surface contact between the fabric and each roller, said rollers being sufiiciently closely spaced so that said strip passes Iover one of said rollers and under the next and maintains said free surface contact with la substantial area of each of said rollers, a frame rotatably carrying said rollers, and means freely pivoting said frame around an axis'located ahead of said rollers with reference to the travel of said strip and passing perpendicularly through the median line of said strip, whereby when in operation, as said strip assumes an off center positionfwitli respect to said median line said free surface contact of said fabc acts on the sidesv of the rollers toward which the fabric has shifted t0 automatically turn that side of the rectifier in the direction of travel of `the fabric so that the areas of said rollers in Contact with said strip all cooperate in urging the fabric -uniformly back toward the center and so uniformly rectify the travel of the strip according to the amount of deflection.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which there are three successive cooperating rolls on the rectifier frame.

4.v Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said pivot is located above said rollers, 'whereby the tensin of the fabric tends to lift saidrollers and thus reduce pressure vat said pivot which facilitates the pivoting action.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said frame is attached to said pivot with sufficient clearance around the pivot toenable said frame tp rotate somewhat in a vertical plane, whereby said pivot permits universal rotation in both a horizontal and in vertical planes.

6. In a machinegfor propelling a fabric strip,

to each other butv not close enough to pinch the strip between them, so that said strip passes a1- ternately over and under successive rollers, thereby maintaining contact with a substantial area of each of said rollers, said rollers being mounted in a frame which is freely pivoted at a pivot located ahead of said rollers with reference to the travel of said strip, the axis of said pivot passing perpendicularly through the median line of said strip, whereby when in operation, as said strip assumes an oli' center position with respect to said median line the side of the rectifier to which the fabric has shifted is automatically pulled in the direction the strip is traveling, which shifts the frame'so that the areas of said rollers in contact with the strip all urge the fabric uniformly back toward the center andso rectify'the travel of the strip.

'7. In a machine for propelling a fabric strip, a horizontal propeller roll for propelling the strip, and a rectifier through which said .strip is drawn horizontally by the propeller roll, said rectier comprising a frame pivotally mounted at the median plane of the traveling strip for free pivotal movement in a horizontal plane, a set of rollers mounted in said frame on each side of said median plane,` each set comprising a plurality of parallel rollers, the rollers on one side of the median plane being disposed in divergent A relation to the median line of the strip and to ation, each set of rollers imposes a lateral spreading thrust on the fabric on each side of the medianv plane, and unequal tensions on the fabric on the two sides of the median plane pull forward the side of said roller frame subjected to the greatest tension, thereby urging the fabric uniformly toward the center and so rectifying the travel of the strip.

` 8. In a-machine for propelling a fabric strip, a horizontal propeller roll for propelling the strip for free pivoted movement in a horizontal plane, and a rectifier through whichr said strip is drawn horizontally by the propeller roll, said ,rectifier comprising a frame pivotally mounted at the median plane of the traveling strip, a set lof rollers mounted in said frame on each side of said median plane, a pair of said rollers in each set being parallel, and the pair in one set diverging from the pair inthe other set to form a double V having the apices at said median plane, the

rollers of each lpair being located in close prox.

lset of rollers imposes a lateral spreading thrust on the fabric on each side 'of the median plane, and unequal tensions on the fabric on the two sides of the median plane pull forward the side of said roller frame subjected to the greatest tension, thereby urging the fabric uniformly toward the center and so rectifying the travel of the strip.4

9. In a machine for propelling a fabric strip, a horizontal propeller roll for propelling the strip, and a rectier through which said stripis drawn horizontally by the propeller roll, said rectifier comprising a frame pivotally mounted at the median plane of the traveling strip for free pivotal movement in a horizontal plane, a set of three parallel rollers mounted in said frame on each side of said median plane, the rollers on one side of the median plane being disposed in divergentrelation to the median plane and to therollers on the other side of the median plane, the rollers of each set being located in close proximity to each other but not close enough `to pinch the strip between them, so that said strip passes alternately over and under successive rollers, thereby maintaining contact with a substantial area of each of the rollers, whereby in operation, each set of rollers imposes a lateral spreading lthrust on the fabric on each side of the medan plane and unequal tensions on the fabric on the two sides of the median plane pull forward the side of said roller frame subjected to the greatest tension, thereby urging the fabric uniformly toward the center and so rectifying the travel of th strip.

the six rollers comprised in the two sets of rollers on opposite sides of the median4 plane are mounted for` rotation on three V-shaped rods fixed in the frame with their apices at the median plane, a roller of one set being mounted on one arm of `each V-rod and a roller of the other set being mounted on the other arm of each V-rod, said roller frame being attached to said pivot with suflicient clearance aroundV the pivot to enable said frame to rotate somewhat in a vertical plane, whereby said pivot permits universal rotation in a horizontal plane and in vertical planes.

12. A. rectifier for a traveling fabric strip, including a frame supporting a plurality of rollers with which the traveling strip has tractional engagement, said frame being suspended over said strip by a pivot located ahead of said rollers and adjacent the median line of path of .the strip, said pivot including a pin having a head supported by a yieldable washer permitting said frame to oscillate both in a plane parallel to the plane of the fabric and in a planeperpendicular thereto,'said rectifier producing a counter lead in the strip of fabric when swung on its mounting for the purpose of rectifying the travel of said strip.

13. A rectier as set forth in claim 12 wherein said roller frame is pivoted eccentrically of the front and back dimension of said frame and has a counterweight on the shorter arm of said pivoted frame to counterbalance the weight thereof.

SAMUEL COBN. JULES G. WALTER. 

